Tiger catfish
Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum
Officers of DPI&F Fisheries
Description
In the wild, tiger catfish grow up to 104cm and 17kg, but are usually much smaller when kept in aquariums. They are usually grey along their back, shading to white on their belly. Their body is covered in black or dark brown bands. On the tail and fins these bands become smaller spots. Like all catfish they have barbels (whiskers) around their mouth, however these fish have exceptionally long barbels. As their name suggests, tiger catfish also have prominent and sharp teeth.
Distribution
Tiger catfish are native to South America, occuring in riverbeds and flooded areas of forests. They are not present in the wild in Australia.
Habitat
Tiger catfish are tropical, freshwater fish that spend most of their time on the bottom of rivers. Tiger catfish prefer sand or gravel bottoms and areas with abundant vegetation.
Diet
These fish feed at night on other fish and crabs. They generally only forage in riverbeds.
Reproduction
Female tiger catfish become sexually mature at 56cm and males at 45cm. This species is highly fecund, producing an estimated 8 million eggs per kilogram of weight. Eggs are not gaurded by the parents.
Environmental impacts
Tiger catfish are regarded as noxious due to their voracious appetite, large size, wide mouth gape and high fecundity. If they were introduced, they could cause the decline of native species.
Tiger catfish are not known to be in Australia, however if they are found in the wild or kept in an aquarium, they should be destroyed immediately and reported to the Department of Primary Industries.
Further information
Eschymer, W.N., (1998), Catalog of fishes. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco.
Riehl, R. and Baensch, H. A., (1982/86). Aquarium Atlas. Buensch, Melle, West Germany, 992pp.
FishBase - A Global Information System on Fishes (website).
Fisheries Act 1994 and Fisheries Regulation 2008. Copies of legislation can be downloaded directly at the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel website
Exotic pest
fish - includes general information on noxious and non-indigenous species, educational modules, DPI&F's polices and fact sheets.
Note: Some information in this publication may change from time to time (especially size and in-possession limits). You should contact your nearest Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol or the DPI&F Business information centre
Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
Last reviewed 1 April 2008
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